Tech
OPM to host an industry event on modernizing federal HR systems
The Office of Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget, and General Services Administration are all involved in this discussion on how to get a new human resources system in place by the end of 2028.
Oversight
Watchdog validates whistleblower allegation that safety agency failed to inspect mines in the Pacific territories
The Labor Department inspector general previously flagged that the Mine Safety and Health Administration wasn’t performing required inspections of Pacific mines and erroneously classified them as inactive.
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Workforce
DHS plans to shed most of its intel office workforce
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis plans to reduce hundreds of its staff, per people with knowledge of recent plans communicated to employees. It’s faced scrutiny over past domestic surveillance abuses.
Pay & Benefits
TSP funds continued their upward swing in June
Each of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program gained value last month.
Sponsor Content
Navigating the Priorities of a New Administration
Strong human services fuel economic growth by supporting 55 million Americans with food, housing, and workforce development.
Defense
Air Force using Sentinel money to retrofit Qatar jet
The move won’t further delay the troubled ICBM program, SECAF says.
Management
FBI to move headquarters into Reagan Building, seemingly resolving decades-long fight
Officials did not immediately respond to questions about the timeline for the move or if it would displace the Reagan Building’s current tenants.
Workforce
Indeed: Job applications from feds level out after initial surge, but risks persist
The job search website also reported that major federal contractors are posting fewer openings, hurting opportunities for former civil servants looking for new work.
Sponsor Content
The High Cost of Improper Payments: How Agencies Can Mitigate Risks Effectively and Efficiently
Travel and expense management helps government track spending, prevent fraud, protect officials, and support mission-critical operations.
Tech
Senate Democrats want more information on SSA’s use of AI on its phone lines
A new letter sent to the SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano follows Nextgov/FCW reporting that an anti-fraud check installed on the agency’s phone lines found very little likely fraud.
FEATURED INSIGHTS
Tech
Senate panel advances Trump’s national cyber director nominee
Sean Cairncross now faces a vote in the full Senate. He was widely expected to advance out of committee.
Management
Virginia lawmakers demand answers on Trump’s planned ‘displacement’ of NSF
The lack of an announced successor space for the National Science Foundation and accusations of largesse to the Housing and Urban Development secretary have swirled since the proposal was unveiled last week.
Management
SBA to audit 8(a) contracting program
The Small Business Administration cites the guilty pleas of a former contracting officer and industry executives in a decades-long bribery scheme.
Workforce
Following impoundments threat, new bill wants senior execs to get appropriations training, or else
Legislation from Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, seeks to ensure that select members of the executive branch get annual training on the budget process or face a possible suspension of financial decision making for their agency.
Management
No better way to manage performance
COMMENTARY | OPM's new performance management guidance looks to refine how federal agencies tackle employee performance, but to reach its mark, the federal government’s HR agency should explore how to empower employee problem-solving.
Workforce
Who should the government trust? Now’s your chance to weigh in
COMMENTARY | A new OPM rule would give agencies more power to remove employees deemed untrustworthy—part of a bigger shift toward a single, risk-based vetting system.
Pay & Benefits
All provisions targeting federal worker benefits, unions stricken from Senate reconciliation package
The Senate parliamentarian previously ruled that most of the proposals aimed at cutting federal employees’ retirement benefits and civil service protections violated a rule to ensure reconciliation bills are budgetary in nature.
Oversight
OSC recommends bonuses for whistleblowers at Maryland USDA facility
The reallocation of $50 million to upgrade a dilapidated federal research facility would not have been possible without the rights afforded workers through collective bargaining, union leaders argued.
Defense
DOGE now has approval authority for defense IT, consulting contracts
A new memo from the Defense Department's acquisition leader spells out what agencies and components have to inform the Department of Government Efficiency before proceeding on certain contracts.
Workforce
Mass layoffs likely to remain blocked, for now, thanks to a Supreme Court footnote
The Trump administration is cheering a SCOTUS ruling and its impact on the federal workforce, but attorneys on a key reduction-in-force case say its impact on feds is currently limited.
Workforce
At some federal beaches, surf’s up but the lifeguard chair’s empty
Some of the nation’s most popular beaches managed by the National Park Service are now seeing lifeguard shortages due to a mix of budget cuts, DOGE layoffs and a federal hiring freeze.
Management
States Fear Critical Funding From FEMA May Be Drying Up
Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money — and the future of FEMA itself.
Management
Cuts to FEMA and other agencies will lead to slow disaster response, former administrator says
“It just slows down the entire response and delays the recovery process from starting,” the previous FEMA chief said.
Workforce
House Dems warn Trump’s special counsel pick is anathema to job’s duties
Paul Ingrassia, 28, has been nominated to lead the office that investigates politically motivated firings and Hatch Act violations, despite statements supporting a purge of workers and cavorting with neo-Nazis.
Defense
DOD’s budget request finally drops, combining a real decrease with a one-time boost
Officials are relying heavily on Congress to pass the reconciliation bill.
